Atalanta vs Napoli
Italy Serie A
Date: Sunday, 21 February 2021
Kick-Off at 17.00 UK
Venue: Gewiss Stadium, Bergamo.
Napoli will be aiming to get their revenge on Atalanta for the Coppa Italia defeat when the two teams go head to head in Bergamo on Matchday 23.
The Neapolitans did well to beat Juventus thanks to Lorenzo Insigne’s penalty, but it is well known that they produce much better showings at home than on the travels.
Since all Mertens, Ospina, Petagna, Ghoulam, Hysaj, Koulibaly, Manolas, and Lozano are out of contention for the visitors, we are tempted to put our money on the Orobici.
Atalanta defeated Cagliari on the road thanks to Muriel’s late goal, meaning that they are high on sprits ahead of Sunday’s showdown.
Hateboer should be the only absentee in the home team, which is yet another reason why we are tempted to put our money on the Gewiss Stadium outfit. In their last meeting in Bergamo in the Serie A Atalanta defeated Napoli 2-0.
Atalanta vs Napoli Head-to-head
Teams Atalanta Napoli played so far 34 matches.
Atalanta won 11 direct matches. Napoli won 13 matches. 10 matches ended in a draw. On average in direct matches both teams scored a 2.44 goals per Match.
Atalanta vs Napoli Prediction
Atalanta in actual season average scored 2.22 goals per match. In 16 (94.12%) matches played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. In 13 (76.47%) matches in season 2021 played at home was total goals (team and opponent) Over 2.5 goals.
Napoli average scored 1.94 goals per match in season 2021. In 12 (80.00%) matches played away was total goals (team and opponent) Over 1.5 goals. In 8 (53.33%) matches played away team was total goals (team and opponent) Over 2.5 goals.
Team News:
A potential new recruit for Roberto Mancini's national side, having been granted Italian citizenship this week, Brazil-born defender Rafael Toloi returns from suspension for Atalanta. Therefore, Jose Luis Palomino is likely to drop out of the first XI, with Bosko Sutalo's place as fill-in wing-back also under threat as Joakim Maehle is now expected to deputise for the injured Hans Hateboer on the right flank.
Either Josip Ilicic or Luis Muriel should start in support of Duvan Zapata up front, depending on whether Gian Piero Gasperini opts to set up with a 3-4-2-1 or more conventional 3-5-2, though Zapata may even be rested ahead of Real Madrid's visit on Wednesday.
Ruslan Malinovskyi, Aleksey Miranchuk and Matteo Pessina are all competing for the other place in front of the central-midfield pair.
Light has appeared at the end of the tunnel for visiting coach Gennaro Gattuso, with the news that Kalidou Koulibaly and Faouzi Ghoulam have now returned negative COVID-19 tests and can rejoin his depleted squad.
The list of Napoli absentees includes integral attackers Hirving Lozano (thigh) and Dries Mertens (ankle), while both centre-forward options - Victor Osimhen (still struggling with a shoulder injury and recovery from COVID-19) and Andrea Petagna (thigh) - are in doubt.
First choice centre-back Kostas Manolas (ankle) and goalkeeper David Ospina (thigh) are unavailable too, with Matteo Politano also pulling up injured against Granada.
His hand forced by circumstances then, Gattuso will name Alex Meret in goal behind a similar team to that which started on Thursday, with only Tiemoue Bakayoko likely to come in for Politano and - if deemed fit - Koulibaly returning in place of Amir Rrahmani.
Atalanta BC possible starting lineup:
Gollini; Toloi, Romero, Djimsiti; Maehle, De Roon, Freuler, Gosens; Pessina, Ilicic; Muriel
Napoli possible starting lineup:
Meret; Di Lorenzo, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Rui; Bakayoko, Ruiz, Elmas; Zielinski, Insigne; Osimhen